Since launching in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has become one of the best-selling game consoles of all time. But while the Switch has an innovative design that lets you use the same device for handheld and TV gaming and a pretty solid set of games, it was never the most powerful console on the block.

That’s not likely to change anytime soon. But Nintendo may be preparing to launch an upgraded model that brings a better display for handheld gaming as well as support for 4K output for big-screen gaming.

Rumors of an upgraded Switch have been making the rounds for a while, but according to a new report, Nintendo has placed an order with Samsung to produce display panels for the new console in June, which means the new Nintendo Switch could ship this summer or fall.

Nintendo Switch (current-gen)

According to a report from Bloomberg, the new Switch will have a 7 inch OLED display, which is a step up in size and quality from the 6.2 inch LCD scree used in current-gen NVIDIA Switch consoles. The display resolution will remain unchanged at 1280 x 720 pixels.

That would allow gamers to play the same titles that are already available for the Switch family without any modifications, but colors should look brighter, blacks should look blacker, and everything should be a little bit larger.

It’s unclear what under-the-hood changes, if any, Nintendo will make to enable 4K output. But the goal presumably wouldn’t be to compete with Microsoft and Sony in terms of overall graphics quality so much as to make sure your games upscale adequately so they don’t look awful on modern TV sets.

There’s no word on whether the new Switch will be sold as a premium alternative to the original, or if it will be a replacement product that sells for the same price.

If Nintendo chooses to go the new-member-of-the-Switch-family route, the new upgraded model wouldn’t be the first addition: in 2019 the company also launched the Switch Lite with a smaller screen (5.5 inches), lower price tag ($200), and no support for video output to a TV.

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4 replies on “Nintendo Switch with 7 inch OLED display and 4K output could launch this year”

  1. I’m still mad they didn’t make the original Switch with better ergonomics (that right stick!), and use current tech.

    If they made it over-powered, it could have received most third-party titles that went to the XB1 and PS4. Just use 14nm, Cortex-A72, 8GB sRAM, beefier iGPU, and better cooling. Too late.

    Now even this “fresher” version feels stale with the adoption of PS5 and Xbox in homes. Not to mention; mobile gaming becoming a huge threat to Nintendo’s bottom line.

    Maybe they’ll make a brand new console? One that has a “weak iGPU” and “strong CPU” when handheld…. but gets docked into an eGPU-like box to handle the dGPU, Overclocking, and Fast-Charging. Can only dream :\

    1. I agree about the lack of ergonomics (I can’t hold the Switch or the Switch Lite for more than 1 hour without my hands hurting)

      However, I don’t agree about the lack of performance. Nintendo has never wanted their systems to join Xbox and PS in the horsepower race, and they have never seemed interested in securing any of the AAA games out there.

      Since the N64, they’ve become increasingly focused on the experience, and exclusive titles. By the time of the Wii, they become fully committed to that concept.

      1. Nintendo was a powerhouse when it came to third-party video games. From the NES, GB, SNES, GBA to the N64. And even their GameCube and early DS consoles did “okay”.

        They were a small niche company, and that strategy definitely benefited them, to become a large corporation. I do not know why they pivoted directions with the Wii, WiiU, and later DS consoles. Surviving basically on first-party titles, gimmicks, and nostalgia. As I aged these things didn’t appeal to me and many other people, hence why I’ve been ringing the doomsday bell for a while. And I have been right (they have suffered, the Mobile Gaming is a craze), but I have also been wrong (Switch is much more successful than it deserves to be).

        So overall, my analysis may be flawed. But I still think I am correct. Had Nintendo planned for the long-success instead of short-gain, an overpowered Switch would have received most of the third-party titles and have surpassed the PS4 and XB1 combined in sales. And when the PS5/XB2 make the jump to next-gen, well Nintendo could transition that previous performance as a base-level for their handheld, and have some freedom in the future for releasing a “Pro” version that can support next-gen titles from third-party (even if lower quality, support is still support). Now, they’re at a similar situation as SEGA, when they released the DreamCast which was vastly underpowered (last-gen VS next-gen) compared to the PS2 that launched very shortly after.

  2. Nintendo, has the ability to print money if they’d just do anything. Unfortunately they don’t seem able to get out of their own way. It’s odd I can’t re-buy all of the older roms on this device, or any device anytime there is a new one made. It’s an instant way to make $15.99 over and over. That, or sell them for Apple/Android Markets. People are going to use emulators when the option isn’t made available through standard channels. So, I doubt this device is coming, as it’s be a great way for Nintendo to make money, but they can’t ever seem to do that correctly.

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